1. Mohandas K. Gandhi
A Life in Pictures

2. This is the earliest picture of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
1876 as a child
This is the earliest picture of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
He is aged 7

3. Gandhi’s mother Putlibai
Putlibai had a strong spiritual influence on Gandhi
She was a devout Hindu, who used to fast regularly
She also took advice from a Jain priest

4. Gandhi’s father Karamchand
Gandhi’s father was a politician
He was Prime Minister of Porbandar, a small princely state in Western India

5. Gandhi played sports such as tennis and cricket
1883 as a teenager
Gandhi played sports such as tennis and cricket
When he lied to his parents or stole from his brother he felt very guilty!

6. 1886 with brother Gandhi had two brothers and one sister
He was the youngest child
Here he is shown with his elder brother Laxmidas

7. This the first picture of Gandhi in England.
Gandhi was a lifelong vegetarian He is shown on a visit of the Vegetarian Society to the Isle of Wight

8. Gandhi trained to be a barrister at the Inner Temple in London
1891 law student
Gandhi trained to be a barrister at the Inner Temple in London

9. 1895 as a barrister
After a brief period back in India, Gandhi went to South Africa to practice law
He was retained by a firm of Muslim merchants, headed by Dada Abdullah Sheth

10. Here he is shown with other members of the Natal Indian Congress
1895 Natal Congress
In South Africa he soon became involved in protecting the rights of Indian migrants
Here he is shown with other members of the Natal Indian Congress

11. During the Boer War, Gandhi formed the Indian Ambulance Corps
“Their unassuming dauntlessness cost them many lives and eventually an order was published forbidding them to go into the firing line.” (Mr. Vere Kent Johannesburg Illustrated Star)

12. 1902 with Kasturbhai
Mohandas and Kasturbai were married when they were both aged 13
Later Gandhi became a campaigner against child marriage

13. Kasturbai (Ba) is shown with their four children (all boys):
1902 family
Kasturbai (Ba) is shown with their four children (all boys):
Harilal, born in Manilal, born in Ramdas, born in Devdas, born in 1900

14. 1908 recuperating
Gandhi was sometimes subject to physical beatings because of his activism
When this photo was taken he was recovering from a beating at the hands of other Indians, who objected to the compromise Gandhi made with General Smuts regarding the Pass Laws

15. 1910: letter to Tolstoy
Tolstoy: “I want to tell others what I feel particularly clearly and what to my mind is of great importance – namely that which is called nonviolent resistance – but which is really nothing else but the teaching of love”

16. 1910 Tolstoy Farm 21 miles from Johannesburg
Gandhi’s second venture into communal living
The first had been Phoenix Farm near Durban
Later Gandhi founded ashrams in India

17. 1912 with Gokhale
Many important Indians had become aware of Gandhi’s campaigning in South Africa
Here he is shown with Gokhale, a senior leader of the Indian Nationalist movement, who became Gandhi’s political ‘guru’

18. Eventually there was a compromise with the government of General Smuts
1913 Transvaal march
A protest against the ban on Indian immigration, and the ruling that only Christian marriages were legal
Gandhi hoped the marchers would be sent to jail when they entered the Transvaal
Eventually there was a compromise with the government of General Smuts

19. Gandhi called his method ‘Satyagraha’, meaning ‘struggle for truth’
He was prepared to sacrifice his own well-being in order to change the hearts of his opponents

20. Gandhi ceased to wear European clothes
1913 the Satyagrahi
Gandhi ceased to wear European clothes
He believed that simple dress was appropriate for defending the rights of ordinary Indians

21. 1915 a hero in India
Gandhi’s successes in South Africa were well known throughout India
In this picture he is welcomed in Karachi, now in modern-day Pakistan

22. 1929 Gandhi
This picture shows the ‘iconic’ Gandhi, who had developed by the age of 60
By this time Gandhi had established himself on the Indian political scene, and achieved many notable victories

23. Gandhi was very clever at picking his campaign issues
1930 Salt march
Gandhi was very clever at picking his campaign issues
Although the British tax on salt did not raise much money, it was symbolic of the lack of freedom for Indians in their own country

24. 1930 making salt
Gandhi is shown picking up salt from the beach – ‘making’ salt – which was illegal for Indians
Even today foreign companies try to prevent Indians using their own natural resources, such as drugs companies which try to patent Indian medicinal plants

25. A conference was organised in London, but nothing changed
1931 round the table
It seemed that the British government was taking Indian demands for independence seriously
A conference was organised in London, but nothing changed

26. While in England, Gandhi met the King and the Prime Minister
1931 St James Palace
While in England, Gandhi met the King and the Prime Minister
He told a reporter: “You people wear plus-fours, mine are minus-fours!”

27. 1931 Kingsley Hall “I find that my work lies outside the conference”
While in London, Gandhi stayed in the poor East End
The Gandhi Foundation maintains its HQ at Kingsley Hall to this day

28. 1931 Lancashire
In India, Gandhi had campaigned against the import of cotton cloth from England
This caused many textile workers in England to lose their jobs
Gandhi visited them to show his solidarity – and they showed theirs!

29. 1932 in jail
Gandhi went to jail many times in both South Africa and India
He used his time in jail to read and study
‘whoever has a taste for reading good books is able to bear loneliness in any place with great ease”

30. Gandhi had traditional village life at the heart of his vision
1937 with Nehru
Gandhi had good relations with Nehru, who became Prime Minister of India in However their visions for India were different Nehru wanted industrialisation
Gandhi had traditional village life at the heart of his vision

31. 1939 letter to Hitler
Hitler never saw the letter because British officials intervened to stop it.
Would Hitler have replied?
Gandhi later published his letter in his journal ‘Harijan’

32. Gandhi had good relations with many Muslims
1940 ‘frontier Gandhi’
Gandhi had good relations with many Muslims
Here he is shown with Abdul Ghaffar Khan, who was known as the ‘frontier Gandhi’, for his work promoting peace on the border with Afghanistan

33. 1940 tending a leper
Gandhi had wanted to be a doctor rather than a lawyer, and he nursed many people throughout his life

34. 1940 ‘the scientist’ Here he is shown researching leprosy
Gandhi’s autobiography is called ‘My Experiments with Truth’
He wanted to bring ‘scientific’ methods to the exploration of human morality

35. Gandhi was inspired by Ruskin’s ideal of self-reliance
1942 spinning
Gandhi was inspired by Ruskin’s ideal of self-reliance
He taught Indians to provide for themselves and not depend on the British
The spinning wheel became the symbol of independence, and was used on the flag of the Indian National Congress.

36. Indian Flags INC flag with spinning wheel
Indian flag with Dharma wheel

37. The Partition of Pakistan from India in 1947 broke Gandhi’s heart
1944 with Jinnah
The Partition of Pakistan from India in broke Gandhi’s heart
Gandhi believed that Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians should all live together in India

38. Gandhi fasted so that people would stop fighting
1947 fasting
Gandhi fasted so that people would stop fighting
Without his fasting, it is probable that more people would have died in the riots of 1947

39. 1947 the Mountbattens
Gandhi continued to work at the highest political level until the end of his life

40. 1948
When he was assassinated by a Hindu extremist his last words were ‘Hey Rama’ (O God)

41. www.gandhifoundation.org contact@gandhifoundation.org